Stack-holder for can ends



M. M. SEDWICK.

STACK HOLDER FOR CAN ENDS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT, 22. 1918.

1,347,295.. P tented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ps g) M. M. SEDWICK.

STACK HOLDER FOR CAN ENDS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 22. 1918.

1,347,295. Patented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS-$HEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATHEW MEYER SEDWICK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL CAN COMPANY, INC., OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STACK-HOLDER FOR CAN ENDS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed October 22, 191'. Serial No. 259,209.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHEW M. Snnwrcx, a subject of Norway, residing at Chicago,

in the county of (Jock, State of Illinois,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stack-Holders for Can Ends, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the figures of reference marked thereon. a

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in stack holders for can ends, wherein the can ends are fed one at a time from the stack holder to an operating mechanism, such, for example, as a closing machine for attaching can ends to the can bodies by double seaming.

An object of the invention is to provide a stack holder wherein the stacked can ends are supported and released one at a time by a series of supporting and releasing dogs,

each of which is provided with a supporting.

ledge and a combined supporting and releasing finger, the ledge and finger being staggered so that the dogs when oscillated will present firstv the fingers and then the ledges for supporting the stacked can ends.

Inthe drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of a machine having my improved stack holder applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a'horizontal sectional view taken through the stack holder just above the dogs, showing the supporting ledges in effective position for holding the stacked can ends;

Fig. 3 is a similar view but showing the dogs oscillated so that the combined releasing and supporting fingers are effective;

1g. 4 is a sectional view through the lower part of the stack holder showing the operating ring for actuating the dogs,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the su porting dogs.

y invention is applied to a stack holder wherein the can ends are stacked one on another. At the lower part of the stack holder there are a series of dogs, each of which includes a lower supporting ledge and an upper tapered releasin and supporting finger. The supporting nger and supporting /led e of each dog are staggered relative to eac other and the dogs are so positioned relative to the stack holder that first the fingers and then the ledges may be effective for supporting the stacked can ends. Each dog is pivoted and formed with a forked rear end adapted to engage a pin and the pins are carried by an operatin ring which is concentric with the stack hol er.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, I have shown my invention as embodied in a stack holder including a supporting base 1, carrying rods 22, within which the can ends are stacked one upon another. The supporting base is rovided with a series of openings '3, throug which the supporting dogs 4 may operate to support the stacked can ends. As shown in the drawings, there are three dogs. Each dog is provided with a lower supporting led e 5, having an upper horizontal face 6. Each dog is also provided with an upper combined supporting and releasing finger 7. Each finger is tapered, on its upper face, as indicated at 8 in the drawings. The lower face of the finger 7 is disposed,in a plane above the horizontal face 6 of the projecting. ledge 5 a sufficient distance so that a can end may rest on the ledge 5 and pass underneath the lower face of the finger 7. Each dog is pivoted at 9 to the supporting base 1 of the stack holder. Each dog at its rear end is cut away, as at 10, so as to provide a forked end. Surrounding the stack holder and concentric therewith is an actuating ring 11. Said actuatin ring 11 carries pins 19-, one for each dog, an these pins are adapted to engage the forked end of the dog. The ring is capable of a limited movement about the center of the stack holder and as the ring is moved it will oscillate the dogs. As clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the actuating ring 11 is formed with a cut away section 13 and the side 14 of this cut away section is inclined to form a cam surface adapted to be engaged by a traveling pin 15. As this pin traveling to the right, as viewed in Fig. 4, about the center 16 strikes the cam face 14, it will turn the ring 11 a sufiicient distance to permit the pin to pass and this will oscillate the dogs 4, moving them to one extreme movement. The ring 11 is provided with a proposite direction for a limited distance from that in which the ring is turned by the pin 15. The pins 18 are adapted to be controlled by a cam 19, which in turn may be controlled by the can bodies fed into the machine. in the path of travel of the pin 18, it will raise the pin and bring it to effective position for striking the projection 17 so as to release the can end. If the pin is not raised then it will pass underneath the pIrojection and no can end will be released. lllS particular operating mechanism for the ring and the control of the same by the can bodies forms per 80 no part of the invention.

From the above, it will be apparent that when the dogs are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the entire stack of can ends will be resting on the supporting ledges 5. When the ring 11 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction by the pin 18 striking the projec-' tion 17, the dogs will be swung and the fingers 7 will pass between the lowermost can end and the stack and separate the said lowermost can end from the stack and the fingers 7 then will support the stacked can ends while the separated lowermost can end will be released by the movement of the ledges 5 and said can end will drop down through on to the carrier for the can ends. can end has been released the pin 15 strikes the cam face 14 and turns the rin in a clockwise direction and this moves t e fingers 8 from underneath the stacked can ends and allowing the stack to drop on to the sup porting ledges 5 which have now been turned back into position for supporting the stacked can ends.

In order that the above operation may take place and the stack of can ends be continuously supported, the finger and the ledge are so disposed relative to each other that the stack is supported by the ledge until the finger has passed between the lowermost can end and the remainder of the stack, so as to become a support for the remainder of the stack; and, likewise, the ledge will move again underneath the stack before the finger is released from the stack. When the dogs are moved in one direction, then the ledge supports the stack and when the dogs are moved in the opposite direction, then the fingers support all of the stack above the lowermost can end which 'is released and dropped. By tapering the upper face of the finger the stack will be raised from the lowermost can end and forcibly separated therefrom, but the ledge moves so as to release the lowermost can end, and, therefore, the lowermost can end will with certainty be dropped at a definite point of time-that is, just when the ledge moves from underneath the same.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple arrangement, wherein the stacked can ends are supported and released one. at a time by a series of pivoted dogs positively actuated by the movement of the ring.

If this can 19 is swun so as to lie After this It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in having a lower supporting ledge and an upper tapered releasing and supporting finger spaced above said ledge a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a can end, said finger and ledge being staggered and disposed relative to each other and the stack holder so that when the said dogs are oscillated in one direction the ledges support the stack and when the dogs are oscillated in the other direction the fingers support the stack above the lowermost can end and the stack above the lowermost can end is continuously supported by said dogs.

2. The combination of a stack holder for can ends and means for supporting and releasing the can ends including a series of pivoted supporting and releasing dogs, each having a lower supporting ledge and an upper tapered releasing and supporting fingerv spaced above said ledge a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a can end, said finger and ledge being staggered and disposed relative to each other and the stack holder so that when said dogs are oscillated in one direction the ledges support the stack and when the dogs are oscillated in the other direction the fingers support the stack above the lowermost can end and the stack above the lowermost can end is continuously supported by said dogs, said fingers having their upper faces tapered and their lower faces substantially horizontal whereby said fingers operate to forcibly separate the stack from the lowermost can end in the stack.

3. The combination of a stack holder for can ends and means for supporting and releasing the can ends including a series of pivoted supporting and releasing dogs, each having a lower supporting ledge and an upper tapered releasing and supporting finger spaced above said ledge a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a can end, said finger and ledge being staggered and disposed relative to each other and the stack holder so that when the said dogs are oscillated in one direction the ledges support the stack and when the dogs are oscillated in the other direction the fingers support the stack above the lowermost can end and the stack above the lowermost can end is continuously supported by said dogs, a ring surrounding the stack and concentric therewith, a pin on the ring for oscillating each dog, and means for oscillating the ring.

4. The combination of a stack holder for can ends and means for supporting and releasing the can ends including a series of pivoted supporting and releasing dogs, each having a lower supporting ledge and an upper tapered releasing and supporting finger spaced above said ledge a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a can end, said finger and ledge being staggered and disposed relative to each other and the stack holder so that when said dogs are oscillated in one direction the ledges support the stack and when the dogs are 0scillated in the other direction the fingers support the stack above the lowermost can end and the stack above the lowermost can end is continuously supported by said dogs, said fingers having their upper faces tapered and their lower faces substantially horizontal whereby said fingers'operate to forcibly separate the stack from the lowermost can end in the stack, a ring surrounding the stack holder and concentric therewith, a pin on the ring for oscillating each dog, and means for oscillating the ring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MATHEW MEYER SEDWICK. Witnesses:

GUY RAYMOND TREVILLIAN, EVERETT CARL LUNDGREN. 

